“I’ll get a call from a customer and they’ll say, ‘I was in your store today and when I went through the till, there was a very friendly young man named Kyle packing my bag,’” Paul told me.

“And they say, ‘He was so polite and so sincere, and he just made me feel really good when I was leaving the store.’” Paul added, “Chatting up the customer, that’s what Kyle does very well.

“Even in the parking lot, I’ve seen him bringing in the carts, customers are walking by and he’s saying, ‘Have a nice day! Have a great night!’ You don’t get that from all of them, so he definitely stands out.”

An employee of Zehrs since 1980, Paul says the role of front end clerks is a significant one. “It’s a last chance to make an impression with a customer as they leave the store,” he explained.

Kyle takes that responsibility seriously.

“If a customer were to walk into the store and maybe had a hard day, I just want to treat them nicely and with respect, so maybe they can leave a bit happier than when they came in,” he said. “My parents always taught me that when you’re out there in the work world, especially when it comes to retail, people want to perceive you as a happy person.”

Good manners and respect go hand-in-hand, Kyle said. “I’ll refer to a lady customer as ‘Miss,’ and she may say, ‘Wow, I haven’t been referred to as ‘Miss’ in a long time. Thank you.’ Then I’ll say, ‘Well, you’ll be hearing more of that.’”

As a loyal customer of Zehrs Beechwood for the past 15 years, I’ve met numerous associates — Cindy, Amanda, Kim, Nancy, Carla, Bill, and many more — who show a high regard for customers.

“And customers pick up on that morale when they walk into a store. That’s why we have the ABCD (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) program to acknowledge employees,” said Paul, referring to a drop box located at the store exit, where customers can fill out a short form to share a positive experience. “When a customer takes time to praise an employee, it’s always appreciated.”

I asked Kyle what advice he may have for anyone new to a job in retail. “Just always try your best,” he said, “Because that’s what really counts.”